The Best We Could Do is a novel written by Thi Bui that details one family’s journey from war-plagued Vietnam to America. Bui tells the stories of her mother and father, relating the horrors of war to the foundations of family. It is a poignant book, and surely from a summary sounds worthy of the highly subjective term “literary merit.” “Things like ‘storytelling,’ ‘style’ and ‘historical significance’ — all of which carries a certain degree of objectivity — are instrumental in the elevation of certain pieces of literature into the literary canon” (Hartmann). This novel certainly checks all those boxes, as well as others. However, there will surely be critics who say The Best We Could Do is not a worthy piece of literature, simply because it
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In 1975 during the brutal Vietnam War, the first wave of so-called “boat people” began fleeing Southeast Asia, starting new lives in refugee camps from which only some actually left (“Vietnam”). In The Best We Could Do, Bui notes that she and her family “were among the lucky ones” (Bui 274) because they were only in a refugee camp for a few months. Because Bui’s mother had family in the United States, they were able to get there, but even when they arrived, it was not all smooth sailing. Bui writes that the intended lessons her parents taught her were to be respectful, to care for her siblings, and to do well in school. “The unintentional ones came from their unexorcised demons… and from the habits they formed over so many years of trying to survive” (Bui 295), making it a very difficult transition. Emigration is an issue for many people today, and there are many refugees fleeing danger in their home countries, striving to make a better life for themselves and their families. In this way, Bui’s novel is extremely relevant, as they faced the same situation. This story is also significant because it does not end with leaving one’s country. Instead, it shows the physical and emotional struggles of a family torn apart by the war, because even though they are not in Vietnam anymore, it weighs on them just the same. Historically, the novel shows readers another side to the …show more content…
One of these themes is family. By learning about her parents’ pasts, Bui shows her connection to them by her desire to understand them, although at the end she states, “My life is a gift that is too great- a debt I can never repay” (Bui 325). Another theme is finding meaning and beauty in chaos. Obviously the war setting provides chaos in the storyline, but the unorganized, hectic plot is not careless technique. Bui’s simple style of storytelling strings the plot together in pieces, unifying the novel despite its many moving parts. In addition, the red and grey brushstrokes paint a dark mood, though the words speak of a hopeful tone. A final theme is freedom. Bui finds that she will always feel the weight of her parents’ past, but the final pages show her young son playing in the sea, with words of hope. She writes, “When I look at my son, now ten years old, I don’t see war and loss or even Travis and me. I see a life, bound with mine quite by coincidence, and I think maybe he can be free” (Bui 328). As Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen says, The Best We Could Do is “a book to break your heart and heal it” (“Best”), and that is largely because of the themes that are prevalent throughout the
In 1975 during the brutal Vietnam War, the first wave of so-called “boat people” began fleeing Southeast Asia, starting new lives in refugee camps from which only some actually left (“Vietnam”). In The Best We Could Do, Bui notes that she and her family “were among the lucky ones” (Bui 274) because they were only in a refugee camp for a few months. Because Bui’s mother had family in the United States, they were able to get there, but even when they arrived, it was not all smooth sailing. Bui writes that the intended lessons her parents taught her were to be respectful, to care for her siblings, and to do well in school. “The unintentional ones came from their unexorcised demons… and from the habits they formed over so many years of trying to survive” (Bui 295), making it a very difficult transition. Emigration is an issue for many people today, and there are many refugees fleeing danger in their home countries, striving to make a better life for themselves and their families. In this way, Bui’s novel is extremely relevant, as they faced the same situation. This story is also significant because it does not end with leaving one’s country. Instead, it shows the physical and emotional struggles of a family torn apart by the war, because even though they are not in Vietnam anymore, it weighs on them just the same. Historically, the novel shows readers another side to the …show more content…
One of these themes is family. By learning about her parents’ pasts, Bui shows her connection to them by her desire to understand them, although at the end she states, “My life is a gift that is too great- a debt I can never repay” (Bui 325). Another theme is finding meaning and beauty in chaos. Obviously the war setting provides chaos in the storyline, but the unorganized, hectic plot is not careless technique. Bui’s simple style of storytelling strings the plot together in pieces, unifying the novel despite its many moving parts. In addition, the red and grey brushstrokes paint a dark mood, though the words speak of a hopeful tone. A final theme is freedom. Bui finds that she will always feel the weight of her parents’ past, but the final pages show her young son playing in the sea, with words of hope. She writes, “When I look at my son, now ten years old, I don’t see war and loss or even Travis and me. I see a life, bound with mine quite by coincidence, and I think maybe he can be free” (Bui 328). As Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen says, The Best We Could Do is “a book to break your heart and heal it” (“Best”), and that is largely because of the themes that are prevalent throughout the